Concrete construction



June 10, 1924c. 1,497,589

A1. H. REEVES CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION Filed May 4, 1921 W/TIVESSES I (Ii/MENTOR flusrl/v H. REE VE s Patented June 10, 1924-.

AUSTIN n. nnnvns, or ELMHURST, NEW YORK.

CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION. H

Application filed May 4, 1921. SerialNo. 466,825.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUSTIN H. REEVES, a citizen of the United States, and a resident ofthe city of New York, Elmhurst, borough of Queens, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Concrete Construction of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to concrete structures and has for an object to provide a particular structure which will be very strong and which may be built in successive layers having integral coherency.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction for concrete standpipes, tanks, towers and other reservoirs which includes using a series of independent sections of reinforcement.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a concrete construction in which successive monolithic rings are cast and formed wth independent reinforcing members, the same being'adapted to be used either with or without anchoring or waterproofing members at the joints and with or Without overlapping flanges.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure is a side view'of one embodiment of the invention, certain parts being broken away for illustrating the detail construction.

Figure 2 is a sectional view through'Figure 1 on line 2-2.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the detail arrangement of the concrete and reinforcing members and how they are formed in independent rings.

Figure 4 is a sectional view similar to Figurefi but on a somewhat enlarged scale.

In the construction of concrete reservoirs of different kinds, as for instance, standpipes, water towers and the like, it is customary to provide a suitable foundation and then on this foundation erect the container which'is usually constructed of concrete having reinforcing rods extending vertically from the foundation up tothe top of the structure and suitable annular tie members as well as cross tie members. The vertical reinforcing rods must be straightened out and properlypositioned as well as the other reinforcing members before the aggregate can be deposited around the same between the forms. Also, preferably the casting operation is continuous until the entire structure has been cast so-that there will beno weak places or irregular joints; Where-7a tank or tower isfifty or one hundred-"feet high, it is very ditlicult to-keep these'vertica-l reinforcing rods in place soas to'properly function. It is also very expensive to pour or cast a complete structure at: oneoperation but by the present method it is necessary even though it necessitates workingv day and night for several days and nightsin succession. This day and night work requires the use of several shifts as-a rule and sometimes requires an expert to remain on the job for several days and nights in sucees' sion without sleep or the employment of two experts.

The method of pouringjust mentioned is in vogue at present notwithstanding the fact that it is unscientific in many respects, as for instance, the arrangement of -the swayr ing and projecting tops of vertically positioned reinforcing rods. The swaying ofa reinforcing rod while theconcrete is still green will push the heavy'part of the aggregate away and allow some of the lighter part to move in toward the reinforcement as long as the concrete is in a comparatively liquid state but as soon as it beginsto set the continuous swaying ofthe reinforcement pro duced by the wind and other causes results in forming an open space around each of the vertical reinforcements forpart of its length. When the next batch isplaced in position some of this openingis filled inbut the connection and the filling is not the same as if the reinforcement had been stationary. According to the present invention, this objection is overcome by the fact thatthere inforcement is completely submerged in the wet or green concrete and cannot move.

The present invention aims not only to overcome the unscientific effect involved in the swaying of rein-forcing rods'but also to decrease to the minimum the very large bending moment produced by the pressure of the contained substance in'the shell or wall of tanks, wheresaid shell or' wall is aso-called monolithic structure. The large bending moment now commonin tanks or other structures as heretofore formed, causes cracks in the walls at unknown orunforeseen points and of unknown extent while by casting the structure in independent rings or sections a well defined line is provided and if any cracks occur they will appear along. this line.

s- T v q As this structure is formed in this manner for large containers, special means may be provided for taking care of this possibility of cracking, as for instance, the positioning of suitable waterproofing contrivances along this line which may take the -nature'of a filling of asphalt, a sheet of metal or other devices. Therefore, to produce the best results under the old method or rather the methodnjo-w in common use, it is desirable to pourat one operation a complete container regardless ofthe size. This is very expensive and sometimes almost impossible. Where very large containers are being constructed, the pouring operation is in successive layers but the vertical reinforcing rods and other reinforcments extend upwardly continuously from the lower portion of the casting so as to bond the parts together.

After'one days work the concrete is left to set over night or some other desired time and the unused portion of the vertical remforcments are extending into the air. After the first batch has set the reinforcments are straightened, adjusted and properly positioned for receiving the second batch and so 7 onwhereby a construction is produced that isk'now'n as a monolithic structure though th'ediffewnt parts have been cast at different times. 'However, the reinforcing rods extend usually from the top to the bottom of the complete structure;

1111 the constr'uction shown in the drawing and embodying the invention an arrangement has been provided which provides successive rings or sections of independent reinforcements which are completely submerged at a single point and which will use.

thereby produce anexceptionally strong container'scientifically, which container may be a tower tank or other container and which is east in "sections or rings whereby a single shiftfof workmen may readily and properly cast the complete structure with efficiency. The formation of the reinforcements in secti'ons which are completelysubmerged at a single-casting obviates the undesirable swaying of the reinforcing rods now in common Referring to the accompan ing drawing by numerals, 1 indicates a oundation of any desired kind, as for instance, a good concrete foundation and 2 the tank or other structure formed thereon. In the drawing the topof the foundation has been illus- "trated a's'bein near the round line but it i b D will be evident that the same may be be low the ground line or arranged at an ap cular but it will be evident that the. same may be polygonal or othe shape without departing from the spirit of the invention. In forming the construction embodying the invention,'as for instance, that shown in the drawing, the base or foundation 1 is first formed and allowed to set, after which, suitable molds or frames are mounted to receive the concrete casting forming the wall 3. In addition, a reinforcing skeleton 4 is provided and properly located between the forms or molds, said skeleton extmidiug for a comparatively short distance upwardly, namely, as far as it is intended to cast one of the rings 5. These rings may be very low or may be ten or fifteen feet high or even more if desired, though ordinarily ten to fifteen feet high would be the limit. The

reinforcing structure 4: may be of any suitable kind, as for instance, a number of circumferential rods or wires 6 together with tie members 7 and vertical members 8. The vertical members 8 may be independent rods or may be sections of the tie members 7 as shown. at the left in Figure 3. The metallic reinforcement t by reason of its short height is usually maintained in proper position and the various bars properly located so that the concrete aggregate may be readily cast with the reinforcement properly located.

In the drawing a certain form of reinforcement and a certain form of joint have been shown but it will be evident that other forms may be readily used without departing from the spirit of the invention. The reinforcement l of the lower ring 55 is entirely independent of the reinforcemcnt i of any of the other rings.

In constructing a container as shown in Figures 1 and 3, the foundation is first provided and allowed to set, suitable reinforce ment is then arranged on the foundation and finally the concrete is poured for formingthe lower ring 5, which concrete is allow'edto set. After the lower ring 5 has been allowed to set, the reinforcen'ient 4 of the second ring is provided and then the aggregate of the second ring is poured into place and allowed to set. The third and succeeding rings, if any, are likewise constructed, each higher ring being cast in place after the next lower ring has set. This arrangement will not only produce the rings as shown but will permit the forms used in holding the aggregate to be gradually moved upwardly to take care of the rings as they are cast.

Ordinarily, the lower ring is cast directly on to the foundation with bonding or tying members 10 and likewise the various upper ring or' rings are successively cast one on the other with bonding or tying members 9. This construction provides exceptionally strong containers as each of the reinforcing members 4 are intended to take care of the strain of its particular ring so that the strain on one ring Will not be unduly communicated to or efiect the next adjacent ring.

his method of dividing up the structure to independently take care of strains is particularly effective where the container is intended for use as a water tank or reservoir. Any suitable structure will readily take care of the weight or pressure of the water, as

for instance, an ordinary monolithic structure but where there is an expansion of the water or other matter in the container, monolithic structures will not answer the purpose fully. In fact, where the contents expandby reason of heat or by reason of freezing, cracks are caused and these cracks naturally occur at the weakest points. here a standpipe is half full of water and the weather becomes very cold, a thick layer of ice will form on the top of the water and, consequently, there will be a tremendous expanding force applied at the central standpipe by reason of the height of the water. This will cause the standpipe to be cracked unless it can yield. If the level of water is near the top, the expansion will either do no injury or will merely crack the top part of the structure.

In the present construction, these difficulties have been considered and the structure embodying the invention arranged in reinforced rings which are independent but which have a certain coherency. This ring structure reduces the cantilever or bending stresses in the shell and limits the same to one or more rings which may expand somewhat and which will break along the line between the rings in case the pressure or strain becomes too great. This breaking or cracking on a given line permits easy repair.

In some isolated cases it might be desirtogether.

able to bond or connect the rings together and to connect the lower ring 5 with the foundation 1. The bonding bars 9 are set into the lower ring while it is still green, said bars acting to bond the adjacent rings Any desired number of bars 10 could also be set into the foundation 1 when the same is green and .the first ring 5 cast thereon.

, In the drawing a concrete base has been shown as ordinarily this form of base would be used, though other forms of bases, as for instance, a metal base might be used without departing from the spirit of the invention. Also, in the drawing only one tank has been shown but if desired a cluster of tanks or containers may be arranged adjacent each other or formed so as to merge into each other and yet retain the characteristics of the individual arrangement of reinforcing rings.

What I claim is The method of constructing a hollow concrete column comprising the steps of forming a concrete base, inserting in the concrete while green. and at various points a plurality of pins with one end projecting above the surfaces of the base, placing on said base a reinforcing member having a plurality of hoops or rings disposed in planes at both sides of said pins, casting concrete around said reinforcing member so that the lower part of said casting fits against said base while wet, allowing said casting to dry, inserting at various points of the casting a plurality of pins with their ends projecting above the upper end of the casting, placing on said casting a reinforcing member similar to the reinforcing member embedded in the casting, and embedding said last-mentioned member in concrete.

AUSTIN H. REEVES. 

